Engine.



E. JAMES.

ENGINE.

JunLIoA'rIoN FILED JUNE 7, 1910.

Patented July 4, 1911.

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UNITED srngs PrirENr OFFICE.

EDGAR JAMES, OF LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA, AASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T O ROBERT E. COSTNER, OF LINCOLNTON, NORTE CAROLINA.

ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.'

Patented Juiy 4, 1911'J To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR JAMES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lincolnton, in the county of Lincoln and State of North Carolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specication.

My l'invention relates to steamvl engines, and' it consists inthe combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a novel form of double-acting engine, in which the working parts are inclosed 1n a frame,

which is of the simplest construction, yet being strong and durable.

I A further object 01:"my'invention is to provide a device in which a slide valve of the ordinary form 'may be used in operating the two pistons.

Other objects and yadvantages will appear in the following 'specification and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application in which similar reference characters indicatel like parts in the several views,land in which- Figure 1 is a side View, showing one embodiment of my device, the cylinder' and pistons being shown in section, Fig. 2 isa pla-n `View of the device, aportion ot the.

cylinder and valve chest being shown insection, Fig. 3 is a sectional View on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, Fig.- 4 is a section through the cross-head longitudinally of lthe adjustable shoes, Fig. 5 is av section thrcagh the cross-head transversev of the adjustable shoes, and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical view showing the relation of the pivot pins of the eccentrics.-A

In carryingl out my invention, I provide a cylinder 1, aving the usual heads 2 and 3 secured thereto. The cylinder is carried by the supports 4 and 5, as shown in Fig. 1.

Secured to the cylinder and cast integrally therewith is a frame 6, which serves as a guide way for the cross-heads 7 and 8. The cross-head 7 is secured to a hollow piston rod 9, Which'fvpasses throughV a stuiling'box lO'in the head 3 alnd to which is secured a piston 11. The cross-head 8 is secured to a piston rod l2, which passes through the crossheadt7 and through the hollow piston ing the latter.

rod 9, and is secured `to a piston 13 within the cylinder 1. The frame 6 is providedl with a ring-shaped end 6*". The supports 14a on one side and 14 on the other have integral extensions 15a and 15", which join the ring 6aL of the 'frame 6 thereby support The supports 14 and 14h are provided with the bearings 16a and 16". The bearing 16 carriesthe shaft 17 and the bearing 16b carries the shaft 17".. Upon the shaft 17h is disposed afly wheel 18, While upon the shaft 171 is' an eccentric 19 which operates the slide valve.

Secured to the end of the shaft 178L is a 'circular plate 20, while the shaft 17D has a similar plate 20" secured to its end. The plates 21 and 21b are similar to their companion plates 208L and 20". The plates 20 and 21a are connected by a pin 2211 which forms aA pivotal connection for a vrod 23, which is pivotally attached to one side of the crosshead 7 at 24. The plates 2Ob and 21b are connected by means of a pin 22b which forms a. pivotal connection for the rod 25. The rod 25 is also pivotally 'con nected to the other side of the cross-head 7 at 26. The plates 21*l and 2lb are connected by a pin 21, which forms a pivotal connection for the rod 28, the latter. being pivotally connected to the cross-head l8 at 29. It wil be observed that the pin 21 is disposed on the opposite side of the disks 21a and 2lb from the pins 22a and 22", at approximately 179 from the latter, orjust ott a dianietrical line.

A valve chest is shown at V. It conta-ins a slide valve e', which is connected with the eccentric 19 by means of the valve rod 28. The valve has a passage 'v1 adapted to communicate with the exhaust passage 'a2 in the center and with the passages v3 and fu* on each side thereof. The latter passage communicates, by means et the passages 'v5 and c, with the channels l. and 1b in the ends of the cylinder 1. The passage of communientes with a channel 1 at the center of the cylinder. in Fig. 3, I have shown an inlet pipe 29 and an outlet pipe 30.

As stated before, the cross-heads 7 and .8 slide in thefraxne 6. The construction of these cross-heads is best shown in Figs.v 4

and 5. A description of the extension feature of one ot the cross-.headswill suiiice for both, since they areboth provided with cross-head 7, itf-vvill be seen that the end of the cross-head is 'provided with dovetailed channels 7l and 7" onl opposite sides thereof,

arranged-to receive the inclined sides of a- 5 slidable-shoe 7.

1.0 against the block, so as to move the shoe.-

It will be seen that a movement of the screws -7g or 7h will cause a bodily movement of the shoe 1 up or down the inclined plane 7k, thereby bringing the shoe nearer to, or far- 15 ther away from, the sides of the run-Way 6,

1n order to compensate for any wear of the cross-head. The pistons 11 and 13 are made hollow for the' sake of lightness, and are provided With .the packing rings l1a and 13a, respectively.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device the operation thereof Will be readily understood. The steam enters the inlet pipe 29, thereby communicating with the interior. of the valve chest V. In the position shown in Fig. 2, the pistons 11 and 13 are relat-ively near to each other.. The steam passing throught-he "passage 'U3 and the channel lc expands and drives the pistons 1n opposite directions.

This will tend to turn the eccentrics formed by the double plates 20', 21a and 20b and 21", thereby turning 'the shafts 17a and 17". The spent gases will be exhausted now 35 through the end channels l1 and 1h through the passages o5, o, et, lv1 and o2. In order to facilitate the exhaust of the engine with# vout interfering in any Way with its efficiency, I provide exhaust openings X and Y di- 40 rect-ly in the cylinder frame 1. vIn the position .of the pistonshown in Fig. 2, it will be lseen that some of the spent gases Will be forced directly through the exhaust openings X and Y-,the exhaust then continuing,

i5 by means of the end channels, as described.

W'hengthe pistons are at the ends of their strokes the exhaust ports X and Y are again opened. lWhen the return stroke is to be made part of the spent gases are forced out I. 50, through the exhaust openings X and Y, the

remainder being forced out through the cenl tral channel 1c, and passages o3, o1 and 122, since the slide valve-has moved.

I' regard the use of the exhaust ports X and Y as an important feature'of this invention, since' it decreases the backpressure of the spent gases when the pistons first start.' I accomplish this as shown above by using pistons, `which are a fraction shorterthan the length of the stroke.

I claim: i

l.-I'n an engine, a cylinder, a pair of pistons in saidl cylinder, each'of said pistons having a length slightly shorter than the stroke of the piston, means for delivering steam at the center of the cylinder. between the pistons, means for delivering steam at the ends of the cylinder, a slide valve for vsoV directing the steam toward the center of the cylinder or toward the ends, said 'means for delivering steam at. the ends and at the center of the cylinder serving alternately as exhaust passages, and an additional exhaust port disposed between the center of the cylinder and each end thereof, said port being arranged to be just cleared by the passage of its respective piston in the travel of said piston in each direction.

2. In an engine, a cylinder, a pair of pistons in said cylinder, each of said pistons having a length slightly1 shorter than the stroke ot the pistoingmeans for delivering steam at the center of the cylinder bet-Ween the pistons, means for deliveringv steam' at the ends ot the cylinder, a slide valve for directing the steam toward the center of the cylinder or toward the ends, said means for delivering steam at the ends and at the center of the'cylinder serving alternately as exhaust passages, and auxiliary exhaust passages leading directly through the side of the cylinder` said auxiliary passagesbeing so disposed between the center of the cylinder and each end thereof as to be cleared by the respective pistons in their movement in either direction.

3. In an engine, a horizontal cylinder provided with supports at each end thereof, an integral frame at' the end of said cylinder, said frame having a ring shaped end and serving as a rguide Way, end supports, side braces connect-ing said end supports with said ring shaped end, a piston arranged to reciprocate Within said cylinder, a cross head carried by said' frame and adapted to slide `therein, a crank shaft carried by said end supports, and vconnections between said crank shaft and said cross head, said connections passing through and Working in SILAs P. HoUsE. 

